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As We Were...

I was going through my archives today and stumbled onto an article I wrote back in 2010, leading up to the presidential elections the following year. Disturbingly, all of the problems 17 year old me wanted answers to are still biting hard today, 3 years after. I just had to share it. 

                                            ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. (22 -01-2011) 

With the conclusions of the presidential primaries of the three largest political parties in our country and the emergence of candidates from them, it is obvious that the much awaited 2011presidential elections are right around the corner. As Nigeria celebrated her silver jubilee last year, these elections have been described by many as the most important elections in our country's history and quite frankly, it is easy to see reasons with them. We are at a point in our history when we have to stand up and take bold steps towards the redemption of our dear country. With these elections at our door step already, we must define in clear cut terms what we want from the next government. We must shun the trivialities of politics and tribalism and pose the right questions to these candidates. Thanks to  Umaru MusaYar'adua of blessed memory and the amnesty program initiated by his administration, the unrest in the oil producing part of our country has been reduced significantly and Nigeria is making tons of money from the sale of crude oil. We need a government that will invest wisely in sustainable programs and avoid unproductive policies that could drive our nation towards a state of anarchy and division, which we aren't very far away from right now. These candidates must understand that Nigerian citizens of today are much more informed than before, and are also a lot more interested in the goings on in the nation's political scene. They have to realize that empty promises have little effect on the Nigerians of this era, especially the young ones. These candidates need to bring out their best ideas to convince us of their capability and worthiness before we cast our votes and entrust them with the leadership of the greatest country in Africa. We wouldn't want to hear Governor Shekarau say; "jobs will be created", we want to know exactly how you intend to create these jobs. We don't want President Goodluck Jonathan to tell us that "the problem in the power sector is being looked into", we demand to know the structures that have been put in place to deal with the issue. We also will not be interested in hearing Mallam Nuhu ribadu tell us that the problem of security in the northern and southern parts of the country "will cease", we need to hear his plan and strategies to combat the problem. Nigerians want to know how each candidate intends to fund the various projects which his government will embark on. The media and other stakeholders must recognize that they have a role to play in helping the masses make the right choice whenwe go to the polls. Debates should be organized and these candidates should face questions from real Nigerians. That way, we would be able to easily determine what each of them has to offer. We must all realize that we have a role to play in securing a productive four years for our country. There is a lot riding on the emergence of a good leader. People are dying on a disturbingly regular basis, the Nigerian society is fast becoming a hub for terrorist activities, the standard of education has been heading south for a while now, the economy is nothing to write home about. It is a big deal and we cannot settle for whatever we get. If we want the right leader, then we must ask the right questions.

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